Korean National Symphony Orchestra Appoints New Music Director

The Italian conductor Roberto Abbado will step into the role

The Korean National Symphony Orchestra (KNSO) has appointed conductor Roberto Abbado as its next Music Director. He will assume the post in January 2026, succeeding the Belgian conductor David Reiland, who has led the orchestra since 2020.

Abbado is the orchestra's eighth Artistic Director and will serve a three-year initial term.

Born in Milan, Abbado first studied the piano and composition before learning conducting from Franco Ferrara. From 1991 to 1998, he led the Munich Radio Orchestra and has also held conducting positions at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia, Spain, and the Festival Verdi in Parma, Italy.

As guest conductor, Abbado has appeared with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre National de France, the Orchestre de Paris, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Gewandhausorchester and the MDR-Sinfonieorchester Leipzig, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Accadémie Santa Cecilia Orchestra in Rome.

A renowned conductor of contemporary music, he has led works by composers such as Luciano Berio, Henri Dutilleux, Salvatore Sciarrino, and Alfred Schnittke — as well as being entrusted with premiere performances of music by Charles Wuorinen, Pascal Dusapin, Luca Francesconi, and Silvia Colasanti.

Abbado described the KNSO as possessing a "spirit of exploration and flexibility. The musicians’ capabilities and their curiosity to pursue new musical paths are their greatest strengths. I look forward to the music we will create together."

"With Maestro Abbado’s visionary leadership and global experience, we will elevate the value we’ve built over the past 40 years and continue to deliver performances befitting Korea’s national orchestra," a representative of the orchestra said.